


Unwinding

by mdelpin



Category: Given (Anime), Given (Manga)
Genre: Anxiety, Boys In Love, Food Fight, M/M, Picnics, Wholesome, Winter Holiday Event 2020, flying kites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22167826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin
Summary: Mafuyu notices the tension between Akihiko and Haruki and tries to help them resolve it by planning an outing for the band at the park.
Relationships: Kaji Akihiko/Nakayama Haruki, Satou Mafuyu/Uenoyama Ritsuka
Comments: 3
Kudos: 102
Collections: Winter Holiday Event





	Unwinding

**Author's Note:**

> Winter Holiday Event 2020  
> Prompts: First and Feast
> 
> Want to talk with me about Given, other animes, writing, or my stories? Click on the link to join our discord [The Unholy Trinity](https://discord.gg/asvBPrDNX9)!

It had been a beautiful sunny day when they had left the studio, the kind that made you want to stop at a convenience store for snacks and then head to the nearest park for a picnic. A warm breeze was blowing, and Mafuyu was reasonably sure he could talk Ritsuka into coming, but he wasn’t quite sure how to convince Akihiko and Haruki to join them. 

Mafuyu didn’t know what had happened between Haruki and Akihiko to cause the tension he’d seen for the last few days. But it was becoming more pronounced with every passing day. Since Haruki had shown up with his new haircut, he and Akihiko’s sound just wouldn’t sync up at all, and although Mafuyu didn’t want to bring attention to the situation, it was making him nervous. 

He knew something was wrong, but not what, and that feeling made him uneasy. Ever since Yuuki had died, his own feelings had become muted and confusing, but he had become hyper-aware of everyone else’s, and any pronounced change made him anxious. 

It was something he had to work on for himself. Not every argument was going to be the final one, but the pain was still fresh, and the fear that it might happen again was overwhelming. 

Just as he was getting ready to suggest the outing, some kids walked by holding kites in their hands, talking excitedly about going to the park. When Mafuyu looked back at his friends, half expecting to find Akihiko making a snide comment, he saw something unexpected. 

Ritsuka was staring after the kids, the longing in his eyes unmistakable, and that gave Mafuyu an even better idea. “Would you like to fly kites too?” 

Ritsuka pretended not to care, it was almost cute how hard he tried to seem unaffected by the question, but Mafuyu could still see the yearning, and he wanted nothing more than to give him this one simple thing. Before he could say anything, Akihiko immediately began to tease his boyfriend. 

“Don’t tell me Uecchi never learned how.” 

“My parents both worked. They didn’t have time to teach us stuff like that,” Ritsuka scowled, and his jaw tightened, “Besides, it’s not like I even care.” 

Mafuyu could not believe his luck when Haruki spoke up, “I used to love flying kites as a kid, I can’t even remember the last time I did something like that. We should go, there are usually vendors at the park.’ 

He smiled at Ritsuka and patted him on his shoulder, “Come on, Uenoyama, I will not only buy you one, but I’ll also teach you how to fly it.” 

“Should we stop at the convenience store and get some food?” Mafuyu asked. 

Ritsuka immediately perked up at the mention of food, and so Mafuyu’s plan came together with barely any effort on his part. It took them about ten minutes to buy enough food and drinks for a small army, and off they went, Haruki explaining to Ritsuka what they were going to be doing while Mafuyu hung back in silence with Akihiko. 

Haruki ended up buying Mafuyu a kite as well, leaving Akihiko with all the food and instructions to find them a spot for their picnic. To Mafuyu’s surprise, he accepted without complaint. They spent a fun afternoon flying kites, laughing when Ritsuka managed to tangle his in a tree. He looked so sad both Mafuyu and Haruki offered theirs as a replacement. 

Ritsuka was actually smiling, and Mafuyu couldn’t help but feel its effect. It was so rare to see his boyfriend relax and enjoy something that wasn’t directly related to music. And he realized with a start that he had managed to do a first with his boyfriend, something he had only ever managed with Yuuki. Although if he thought about it, they had already shared a few firsts. 

Soon Haruki hung back smoking one of his cigarettes, content to watch them but making no move to join Akihiko. 

Ritsuka turned to him, his smile still as full as before, “Thank you for this, it was really fun.” 

“You should thank Haruki, he’s the one who bought it for you,” Mafuyu reminded him. 

“Should we go find Akihiko? I’m kind of hungry.” 

Mafuyu agreed, looking at Haruki out of the corner of his eye to see how he reacted to the suggestion, but the bassist said nothing. He walked back to Ritsuka to teach him how to bring down the kite without ripping it. After a few scoldings from Haruki about being gentler, they were on their way. 

They found Akihiko sprawled on the ground, having fallen asleep as he waited. They sat around him and began opening cans of soda, the noise waking up Akihiko. 

“Did you enjoy yourselves?” Akihiko asked as he took out food items and passed them out. 

“Mhmm,” Ritsuka managed as he took a gigantic bite from his sandwich. 

There was an awkward silence after that. It was Haruki who always chattered, and without his example to follow, they sat quietly. Mafuyu began to feel anxious again, and before he even thought about what he was doing, he threw a chip at Ritsuka. 

His boyfriend scowled at him, and Mafuyu threw the next one at Haruki, curious to see his reaction. Haruki began to lecture him about making a mess until a piece of fruit smacked his chest. They both looked to see who had thrown it, only to see Ritsuka smirking at them. 

This created a chain reaction, with Akihiko joining in before long until even Haruki was taking part in the impromptu food fight. Food went everywhere they could get it. Soon they had escalated, shaking their cans and spraying each other with their drinks. Their laughs rang loud and true, and Mafuyu found he could breathe easier. 

It wasn’t a fix by any means, but at least for now, a small chink had been made. The rest of the work would have to come from Akihiko and Haruki. 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I came up with this after reading @cloverdreams entry this morning. Thanks for the inspiration!


End file.
